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(No Model.)

'J. L. SHAY.

TICKET CLASP. No. 382,274. Patented May 1, 1888.

\A/ITNESSES. .INVENTUR',

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, JAMES L. SHAY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES K. THOMPSON, OF SAME PLACE.

. and novel construction of which the following economy in production.

TICKET-CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 382,274, dated May 1', 1888.

Application filed October 24, 1867. Serial No. 253,208. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES L. SHAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ticket-Holders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

.My invention relates to the class of clasps or holders especially adapted for use in railway-cars to keep passage-tickets in sight, and at the same time to hold them securely. The essential requirements in this class of clasps are that they shall be neat and compact, inexpensive, capable of being attached to any car without injury to any portion, and entirely out of the way at all times. Having these requirements in view, I have devised the simple description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification, numbers being used to denote the several parts.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a seat-back of an ordinary passenger-car with holder attached; Fig. 2, a plan view of my improved holder detached; Fig. 3, a front elevation, and Fig. 4 an end view.

Myimproved holderisstruck out and formed from a single piece of sheet metal, and consists of four essential parts-to wit, the attachingplate,(denoted by 1,) the forwardly-turned upper spring-plate, (denoted by 2,) the backwardly-turned lowerspring-plate, (denoted by 3,) and the guides 4, which hold the ticket between the plates. By making the entire device from a single piece of metal, preferably spring-brass, I insure the greatest possible By the reducing of the number of operative parts I insure simplicity and efficiency in operation, and by providing two spring-plates I produce a device that will work equally well with card tickets or checks and with folded coupon-tickets.

My improved ticket-holder is secured in place by screws 5, which pass through the attaching-plate and into the top of the seat-back. They may be so attached as to face in either direction, but are preferably attached to face backward-that is to say, they are so placed that the holders upon each seat-back can be used by the occupants of the next seat behind. It. is quite common in cars-for example, the Wheeler cars-to place a curved bindingstrip, 6, upon the top of each seat-back. When used in this class of cars, I preferably turn the ends of the attaching-plate downward at a right angle, curving the turned-down end inward to fit the binding-strip, as shown at 7, so that the upper surface of the attaching-plate is left flat, and at the same time the device rests firmly uponthe seat-back. I thus secure a neat and finished appearance at a trifling expense.

8 denotes openings in the attaching-plate for guides 4, formed upon the upper spring-plate. These guides are turned downward at a. right angle to the spring-plates, engage the openings in the attaching-plate, and act to hold aticket between the plates from being pushed out sidewise. The front edge of the upper plate is preferably curved upward, as at 10, for convenience in inserting a ticket, and an opening, 11, is provided in said plate, extending inward from the edge, in order that the names of stations on card tickets or checks may be visible without removing them from the holder. This enables conductors in making their rounds to punch the tickets without loss of time, and is a source of great convenience to travelers, as it enables gentlemen to keep a ticket or check in sight without marring the appearance of a beaver hat, and it saves for ladies the trouble of hunting through various pockets and traveling-bags to find a ticket each time it is re quired.

The operation is simply to force a ticket inward between the spring-plates. The normal position of the spring-plates is nearly in contact, as shown in Fig. 4. This enables the holder to retain a card ticket securely, while at the same time the springs will yield sufficiently to receive a folded coupon-ticket.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A ticket-holder consisting of an attaching-plate having openings 8, a backwardlyturned spring-plate, 3, and a spring plate, 2, projecting forward from the back over plate 3,

and having guides which extend downward by the side of plate 3 and engage the openings in ing-plate having openings 8, a backwardly- -the attaching-plate, so that the ticket cannot turned lower spring-plate, and a forwardlybe pushed out laterally. I turned upper spring-plate having guides at the 1 2. A ticket-holder consisting of an attachsides which extend downward and engage said 5 ing-plate having downwardlyturned ends openings.

curved inward to engage the top of the seat, a In testimony whereof I affix my signature in backwardly-turned lower plate, and a forpresence of two witnesses. wardIy-turned upper plate curved upward at the edge, and having an opening, 11, and down- JAMES SHAY 1o wardly-turned guides, as and for the purpose Witnesses: set forth. A. M. WOOS'IER,

3. A ticket-holder consisting of an attach- B. E. LEE. 

